The patent art is replete with devices for the removal of staples to separate the staples from papers such that the papers may be individually fed into a copy machine, microfilming equipment, or separated for filing purposes. Examples of such devices are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,750,148, 3,162,423, 3,344,649 and 3,494,591. Removing staples by any of these staple removers however is time consuming and utilize some dexterity to remove the staples rapidly and not have the staples lying around and being lost in the carpets or falling into the copying or microfilming equipment. The prior art also illustrates some devices whereby the staples can be separated from the papers and retained on the staple remover as by the incorporation of a magnet on the remover. Nonetheless, the operation is time consuming which is costly economically in the handling of documents.
The present invention provides a useful device in the form of a thin elongate strip of polymeric material which can be placed over selected sheets to be stapled prior to the stapling and then the staple is driven through the polymeric strip and the sheets. When it is desired to separate the sheets, e.g. sheets of paper, for filing, copying or microfilming the end of the strip is grasped firmly between the thumb and the forefinger and peeled from the sheets. Upon this peeling movement the staple is withdrawn from the sheets and the staple or staples are retained in the polymeric strip.
Prior art relating to staple supporting devices which protect against disengagement and deform the staple on removal includes U.S. Pat. No. 1,839,543 (Flood) issued Jan. 5, 1932; U.S. Pat. No. 2,335,715 (Wallace) issued Nov. 30, 1943 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,059 (Van Eck) issued Dec. 12, 1978.
Flood discloses a pin ticket for identifying the merchant or price of merchandise. This ticket is generally attached by machine and the wire staple passes through the sheet, e.g. fabric, and through the tag and is then bent rearwardly so that the points of the staple meet the outer face of the patch. Upon removal of the tag the tag, preferably is defaced, and the staple deformed so that the removed ticket cannot be replaced or substituted by hand. This tag is positioned on the sheet opposite the crown of the staple and is not intended to remove the staple upon pulling the tag away.
Wallace discloses a customary pin ticket for pricing merchandise which uses a wire staple of soft and ductile wire. The ticket and wire staple are supplied with the staple in the ticket and it is then placed on the goods. The ends of the staple are then turned or bent over to secure the ticket to the object. The staple ends are usually clamped to the ticket body and removal of this ticket usually removes the staple. The damage to the goods was dependent on the type of material used in the goods and the wire of the staple.
Van Eck discloses a staple-type fastener for attaching delicate sheet materials and discloses a fastener having a cross-member which is substantially wider than the attached prongs and uses a receiving plate in conjunction with the fastener. The cross-member may be made of metal or plastic sufficiently strong so that the prongs are retained within the cross-member, examples are polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride. The width of the cross-member is at least three times the width of the prongs. As recited, the receiving plate is provided with a tab to facilitate unclenching the prongs without the cross-member being pulled through the sheets or both the cross-member and the receiving plate may have tabs which can be grasped to unclench the staples. The cross-members are not designed to facilitate the insertion of additional staples or afford removal without the receiving plate.
The strip of the present invention is placed over a series of documents to be stapled together and one or more staples are driven through it. If additional sheets must be added to the stack they may be placed behind the first sheets and an additional staple pressed through the polymeric strip and into the new pages. Upon separation of the pages the strip is peeled from the uppermost sheet. The staples will be removed from the sheets by the strip and, depending upon the number of sheets stapled together, the legs of the staple are opened but the staples are retained in the polymeric strip.